The use of speakers for mass audio notification has traditionally been achieved through self-contained, analogue systems. The speaker output is either driven in real-time by an announcer or by a pre-recorded message which may be automatically created by a computer system, manually recorded by the announcer, or both. These standalone speaker systems, while usually reliable for day-to-day operation, present a number of difficulties when an attempt is made to turn them into an integral part of a full mass audio notification system. These problems include:                Limited or non-existent centralized configuration options for speaker operation caused by a lack of intelligent, pro-active, reporting from the analogue speakers of their current states;        Cumbersome maintenance due to the presence of two separated management and configuration systems: one for the digital notification system and one for the standalone analogue system;        Limited scalability since the analogue speakers are usually constrained to operate within a concentrated geographical area due to power restrictions and cable-length limitations;        Limited selective notification options since the standalone systems only support “notify all speakers” or intercom-like operations        
The introduction of an IP-based Mass Notification System, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/770,896 filed 30 Apr. 2010, removes the limitations of traditional analogue-based systems. Using an IP network to connect speakers to a centralized Mass Notification Management Center (MNMC) removes the geographical constraints. Instead of dedicated analogue resources, the IP-based Mass Notification System can leverage an existing IT infrastructure which is prevalent in most enterprise and campus establishments for normal operations. The Mass Notification System is only geographically limited by the reach of the existing IT network infrastructure which results in reduced system implementation costs. As well, the management limitations are removed since both the MNMC and the speakers can have the additional capability of access over the IP network. Automated management and maintenance practices can be enabled by leveraging the capability of an IP device, thus reducing the overall system operation cost. IT departments already have many automated tools implemented for such management purposes. Therefore, only exceptional behavior needs to be investigated by an IT technician or a member of security.
The biggest advantage of an IP-based system comes from the service implementation options which are enabled by intelligent IP enabled devices. For example, a subset of speakers can be selected for an announcement. As well, the numbers and types of devices which can interact with the Mass Notification System are greatly increased. In addition, IP-based systems allow intelligent devices to interact with the Mass Notification System and their level of participation with the Mass Notification System is also significantly enhanced. For example, an enterprise could enable the system to allow smartphones to create announcements that get distributed to different subsets of speakers with precise message deliveries and feedback. The possibilities are endless.